Sofa-bed.



L. C. WESTPHAL.

SOFA BED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1914.

Patented. Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. C. WESTPHAL.

SOFA BED. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. Q14. I Patented Apr. 8,1919

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

p n M zw LOUIS c. WESTPHAL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIcncn To s. KABPEN & 1230s., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or. wnsr VIRGINIA.

SOFA-BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

Application filed July 18, 1914. Serial No. 851,733.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS C. \VEs'rrnAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sofa-l3eds, ofywhich the following is a specification.

This invention ,rel tes particularly to such structures as sofa-beds, in which the back is employed as a means forlocking the seat in closed position. The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved structure of this character which can be manufactured cheaply, which is operated in a very simple manner, and which is not likely to get out of order.

T he invention-is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 represents a view of the improved structure in open position, with one frame-end removed; Fig. 2, a broken vertical sectional view-ofthe back of the structure, showing the means for limiting the.

forward movement of the springactuated front section of the back; Fig. 3, a. broken vertical section taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 5, showing one of the actuating springs for the front back-section; Fig. 4, a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the structure in closed position; Fig. 5, a broken rear elevational view of the structure; and Fig. 6, a broken rear elevational View of the central portion of the seatframe.

In the construction illustrated, A represents a frame; B, a forwardly invertible seat; C, a folding-bed normally housed in the frame below the seat; and D, a back comprising a fixedly-mounted rear section 1 and a spring actuated front section 1*.

The frame may be of any suitable construction. As shown, it comprises endstandards 2 which afford arms for the sofa; and an open-topped box 3 rigidly secured to the lower portions of the end-standards.

In the illustration given, the seat is connected, by links 4:, to brackets 5 secured to the front corners of the box 3, the seat being adapted to swing forwardly from a position in which it surmounts the box 3 to an inverted position in front of the main frame.

In the form illustrated, the folding-bed 0 comprises a rear-section 6; an intermediate or spacing-section 7, and a front secring. the bed-structure.

tion 8, the intermediate section being pivotally mounted on brackets or hangers 9 applied to the corners of the seat-frame. The sections 6 and 8 are pivotally connected with the intermediate section 7. The rear section 6 is connected by elbow-levers 10 to the rear portions of the brackets 5; and

the members 10 are joined by links 11 to the brackets 9. The section 8 is connected, by links 12, to the swinging edge-portion of the seat B, and the seat B is equipped with legs .13, operated by links 14. The rear portion of the bed-section 6 is connected, by heavy coil-springs 15, to standards lti with which the rear corners of the box 3 are equipped. The folding-bed structure and the manner of connecting the same and the seat to the main frameare known in the .art. 7 7,

When the structure, is in the folded condition shown in" Fig. 2, the springs 15 tend to throw theseat openand aid in unfold- The section 1 of the back normally locks the seat against opening. The rear section of the back is in the form of a rectangular frame, which is rigidly secured, as by bolts 17, to the rear portions of the end-standards 2 of the main frame. The end-portions of the backsection 1 are equipped with clips 18 which project forward and support pivots 19 on which theupper portion of the front backsection 1 is hung. Conical coil-springs 20 are interposed between the frame-members of the front and rear back-sections, the springs 20 tending to throw the lower end of the front back-section forward to the locking position shown in Fig. 4. The forward movement is limited by flexible strips 21 which may be of cloth. These flexible strips aretacked to the lower portions of the back-sections 1 and 1", as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to convert the structure from sofa-form to bed-form, all that is necessary is to press rearwardly on the lower portion of the front back-section 1 When the front back-section is thus retracted from the locking position, the rear portion of the seat is released, and the springs 15 operate to throw the rear edge of the seat upwardly somewhat and assist in the operation of unof the seat pushes the lower portion of the front back-section out of the way as the seat is pressed to the fully closed position, after which the springs 20 project the front backsection to the locking position. If desired,

the operator may press the front back-section rearwardly, at the sametime thathe presses the seat downwardly to the closed position,

and may release the back-section at the proper time to permit it to lock: the seat in the closed position.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the front back-section is normally heldyieldingly in an advanced position and is adapted to be retracted by the seat during the closing operation, after which it springs forward to the locking position. The idea of utilizing one section of theback as a fixed section and another section as a spring-actuated locking-section enables the mechanism to be made exceedingly simple and obviate-s danger of the mechanism getting out of order.

It is desirable to providethe lower por-' tion of the back-section 1 with an extension orcleat 22 adapted to be engaged by a roller 23 secured by a staple '24: to the central portion of the rear rail of the seat-frame. In

the closing operation, the roller will enga e thecleat 22 and automatically push the bac Copies of this patent may be obtained for section 1 rearwardly to prevent the rear edgeof the seatf-rominjuring the upholstering at thelower portion-ofthe back-section wardlyturning seat, means tending to turn said seat to the open position, a fixedlymounted, rear back-section, a front backsection pivotally supported at its upper portion, a spring interposed between said backsections and adapted to move the front backsection to. the seat-locking position, and flexible connecti'ngmeans between the lower por tions of, the back-sections serving to limit forward movement of the lower portion of the front bacl'esection.

LOUIS C. WESTPHAL.

' In presence of- V NELnrn-B DEARBORN,

A. C; Eisormn,

five cents each, by addressing the; Commissionerof Patents, wasl ingtoml). 6; 

